“The Old Man” finished his last mission on FX.
The spy thriller series, starring Jeff Bridges, John Lithgow, Amy Brenneman and Alia Shawkat, has been canceled at the cable network after two seasons. Though it held its critical acclaim, the show failed to keep the momentum from its celebrated first season following an extended production hiatus credited to the Hollywood strikes.
“The Old Man” premiered in June 2022 on FX and became the network’s most-watched series premiere since January 2021, as well as FX’s most-watched series premiere on Hulu at the time. With a break between seasons of two years and three months, however, the show failed to match those impressive ratings when it returned for Season 2 in September of this year.
The series followed Dan Chase (Bridges), who after decades off the grid has to get back into action after an assassin comes after him. Season 2 revolved around saving Angela/Emily (Shawkat), a goal that required Chase to team up with his former partner-turned-rival Harper (Lithgow) to rescue the woman they both saw as a daughter. That journey forced them to put their differences aside and travel to Afghanistan. But as Angela/Emily spent more time in the country, she learned that her real father was actually Faraz Hamzad (Navid Negahban). In the process, she embraced her new identity and discovered her heritage, becoming Parwana Hamzad.
The season ended in an upset. In order to ensure Parwana’s safe return to America, Harper partnered with his ex-wife, former British agent Marion (Janet McTeer). But in the process, he disappeared. In the final moments of “XV,” Parwana tells Chase in no uncertain terms that he will be helping her do whatever it takes to get Harper back. Much like how Season 1 ended with Chase teaming up with Harper, Season 2 ended with him begrudgingly partnering with Parwana.
“As much ground as the story’s covered already, in a way, the relationship between Jeff and Alia’s characters has really just started. What I’d be excited for in Season 3 is to watch them have to occupy the same space in the story and deal with each other. They don’t get to use a phone as a buffer,” executive producer Jonathan E. Steinberg told TheWrap after the Season 2 finale. “We all feel really good about the story we’re telling and the team that’s been built.”
Though a third season won’t be happening, the critical acclaim continues. The show had a strong showing at the Critics Choice TV nominations, including for Best Drama Series, Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Bridges and Best Supporting Actor for Lithgow.
All episodes of “The Old Man” are now streaming Hulu.
